Coating apparatus



sept. 1'1, 1923. n n 1,467,343

C. B. TIBBETTS CQA'TING 'APPARATUS- Filed Jan. z, 1920 Wwf@ PatentedSept. l1, 1923..

UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

CHARLES B. TIBBETTS, 0F WALPOLE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 UNITED SHOEMACHINERY CORPORATION, OF PATERSOIL NEW JERSEY,l A CORPORATION OF NWJERSEY.

coA'rINo APPARATUS. I n l Application iled January 2, 1920. `Serial No.348,814.

T 0 aZZ whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, CHARLESB. Tin'r'rs, a citizen ofthedl'nitedStates,residing at Wal olein.the county of Norfolk and State ofli'ijassachusett-s, have invented certain Improvements in CoatingApparatus, of which the following description, in connection with theaccompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters onthe drawings indicating like parts in the several Iigures.

My invention relates to coating apparatus, and especially to that .typeadapted for applying paste, cement, or other adhesives to the liningsand other portions of shoes.

In apparatus of the character indicated above, difficulty is encounteredin so applying the adhesive to the work, especially when fabrics are tobe coated along separated arears, that it will not pipe or draw intoridges which interfere with its smooth contact with the surface to whichit is to adhere.

' this distortion will be avoided. In the accomplishment of thispurpose, I provide an adhesive-applying member having a series ofapplying portions curved in a novel manner. The arrangement results inso dividing or distributing the stresses set up in the work by thedrying of the adhesive that there is not a sufficient 'pull upon it inany one direction to cause it to be materially drawn out of shape. Ihave found it desirable to arrange the applying portions concentricallythroughout their entire length, and I prefer to have them present agradually varying applying area over different portions of the coatingmember.

It ymay be desirable for an operator to change the amount of adhesivedistributed over the work, because, for example, of a difference in thethickness of the material being operated upon. A further object of the4invention is to furnish means whereby this change may be effectedreadily. To this end. I utilize a member having applying surfaces ofdifferent character, with means arranged to permit the member to bechanged in its position to present the different surfaces to the work.The variations in thel sur- Jf'aces cause diverse coating effects. Thereis herein illustrated a reversible grid, which -alters the applicationof the adhesive by a 4posite sides.

difference in the Width of the bars at op In foot-'actuated apparatus,it is often advantageous for the operator to.v limit the travel of thecontrolled member, as forrin- .stance in coating apparatus of the typehere- 1n described'. Ir-Iere, the operator may wish .to change theextent ofrelative movement of the applying member and an adhesivereceptacle to maintain constant, asthe adhetle attention on the part ofthe operator,

and in carrying this out Iemploy means to f variably determine .theextent of the movement. In the control'` of foot-actuated ap paratus, Iutilize a contact member to limit the travel of the actuatingI treadle,together with 'means arranged for actuation by the operator during themovement of the treadle to permit a variation in the position of thecontact member, and consequently inthe extent of movement of thetreadle. The position-varying means is preferably so located as to beoperable by the foot, consisting in the present instance of astopmembervariable in position upon` the treadle.

Other objects will hereinafter appear in y the following description,which is illustrated by the accompanying drawing, in Which- Fig. 1 is aperspective view of one of the forms which my improved applyingapparatus-may assume, parts being broken away; Fig. E2 is a transversesectional detail on the line 2-2 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 3 is a detail in broken perspective of a portion of one of theapplying bars.

Atl() isillustrated a section of a table, upon which is supportedarelatively shallow pan or receptacle l, here shown as rectangular inform, and adapted to contain the pas-te or other adhesive to be appliedto the work. At the outside of opposite extremities of the pan are lugsvla. 14, containing `vertical bores alined with similarly spaced openingsin the table. Loosely through the lugs and table openings pass actuatingand sup orting rods or like members 16 for an app ying member 18operating within the pan. This member 18 is preferaby in the form of acomparatively thin gri of cast metal, which should be non-corrosiblewith respect to the adhesive in which it is to be immersed, and havingseparated applying surfaces furnished by spaced bars 20. These bars areshown as curved, being represented as portions of circles about a centerat or near the middle of'one of the longer sides of the surroundingframe 22of the grid. The bars, therefore, are arcuate, and graduallyincrease in diameter from the side adjacent to their center point to theopposite side of the grid. The change of contour of the bars from thesharply curved arcs of small diameter to those approaching straightlines gives a gradual increase in the area of the outer or applyingsurfaces per unit area of the grid from one side to the other. The gridmay also be caused to present coating surfaces the total applying areaof which is different, by tapering the bars at their sides 24, 24 from amaximum width at one face 26 to a minimum width at the opposite face 28.Between the sides 24 and faces 26 and 28, the corners 30 are preferablrounded. v The applyingsurfaces 26 an 28 are iven a smooth `finish, asby grinding, whl e the sides 24 and corners 30 are left rough, as cast.This produces at each side of the applying surfaces irregular edges 32,their outline depending on the character of the surface produced in thecasting by the mold. The. applying bars are preferably connected atsuitable intervals by reinforcing bars 33, these being here illustratedas radiating from the center of the arcs, and being s aced from theapplying surfaces, so that t ey do not act as coating members.

The grid is mounted upon the rods 16 by carriers 34, which are recessedto receive the shouldered extremities of the rods, the reduced ends ofwhich beyond the shoulders are threaded and engaged above the carriersby thumb-nuts 36 to secure the carriers in place. The inner portion ofeach carrier is formed in a yoke with vertical, spaced arms 38, 38having reduced ends entering openings in the frame of the grid. The gridis drawn against the shoulders of the yoke arms by hanger-rods 40, eachprovided with a hooked end 42, which enters a slot 44 in the adjacentend of the grid frame,

' and then may be turned beneath said frame.

Here it seats itself in a recess 46, so it will be flush with thesurface and thus permit the travel of the grid to the bottom of the pan.The upper ends ofthe rods, which pass through and above the carriermember, are threaded to receive nuts 48, acting to draw the hooked endsinto the grid slots,

or to free them therefrom for the release of the grid from the carriers.By this arrangement of support, the grid is reversible about bothhorizontal and vertical axes. That is, it may be turned in the pan sothat either the bar faces 26 or the faces 28 will be up; permost toreceive the work; or it may rotated to bring the center point of thearcuate bars at either the front or the rear of the pan. In the firstinstance, the total area of the work coated is varied and in the second,

the distribution is changed, the operator always applying work pieces inthe same relation as they are taken from the pile, and, therefore,coating either the side nearest to him or that farthest away mostthickly, according to the position in which the grid is mounted upon thecarriers. The change in grid positions is effected by loosening the nuts48 until the rods 40 may turn with their hooked ends in alinement withVthe slots and allowing the grid to sink to the bottom of the pan. Thecarriers may then be swung free of the pan, the grid raised and turned,and the carriers and rods restored to their normal supporting positions.

The supporting rods 16 pass downwardly through guide-cages 50 secured tothe under side of the table 10, these cages having in the upper andlower extremities holes opposite the holes in the table and the bores inthe lugs 14. In the upper ends of the cages, the guide-openings areformed in central, upwardly projecting bosses 51, which pass through thetable openings and enter depressions in the under sides of the pan lugs14. This engagement insures the correct relation of the rods 16 and thesupported grid to the pan, without the necessity of furnishing bearingsfor the rods in the lug openings. The cages are correctly spaced, sothat the co-operation of the bosses 51 and lug depressions may beobtained without difficulty, by a connecting bar or brace 52, extendingbeneath the table and preferably cast integral with the cages. The gridis normally raised to its applying position at the top of the pan bysprings 54 contained within the cages and surrounding the rods 16, theyresting at their lower ends upon the bottom bars of the cages, and attheir upper ends abutting against pins 56, which pass through holes int-he rods. To allow the vertical position of the rods 16 to be varied,so they may properly raise the grid above the paste in the receptaclefor different thicknesses of table to which the pan may be applied, eachrod is continued by a separate section 58, the rod portions 16 and 58having their adjacent alined ends threaded at 60. These threadedportions are engaged by a coupling sleeve 62. having at its lower end,outside its cage, a flange 64, which contacts with the bottom of thecage to limit the upward move` ment of the rod. The outside of thesleeve lits the openingY in the lower casing head to slide therein. Whenthe position of a rod 16 is to be varied, the operator may hold thecorresponding rod 58 byA a wrench applied to a hexagonal or squareportion 66, to prevent its turning, and then rotates the sleeve 62 byits flange 64:. This, by the threaded connection between the sleeve androd sections, raises or lowers the sleeve 62, similarly altering thepoint at which travel of the rod under the tension of the spring 54 isstopped by the sleeve flange. Each rod section 5.8 is joined b anindependent rod section 68 to a treadle i0, pivoted at 72 upon the floorbeneath the table. An alteration of the length of the treadleconnections, and therefore the normal angle which the treadle makes withthe floor, is permitted by clamping the sections 58 and 68 adjustably bymeans of bands 7 4 surrounding the overlapping section ends, and havingset-screws threaded through them and securing the sections in place.

The quantity of paste brought up from the pan in preparation for theapplication of the work will vary with the depth of immersion of thegrid, this being controlled by the extent to which the treadle isdepressed.

Usually the operator wishes to carry the.

upper applying face justbelow the surface of the paste. To so operatethe treadle thatthe proper travel ofthe grid is provided for requiresclose attention and considerable expertness on the part of the operator.If the downward travel of the grid is such that the applying face is`not fully immersed, the coating given to the work will be too thin. If,on the other hand, the travel of the grid into the adhesive is muchbelow the surface, a too thick coating may result. Moreover, in thislatter case the operator must employ a greater muscular effort and alonger time is consumed than is necessary. This burden of continuouseffort to actuate the grid to the best advantage I remove from theoperator by providing a readily controlled means for determining thedownward extent of the treadle movement. At 7 8 the treadle is shown asslotted, there being upon opposite f sides of the slot vertical walls80, 80, which may be cast integrallyl with the treadle. In

these walls there is journaled at 82a rotat able stop-member, preferablyin the form of a cam 84. This is adapted to be turned by the foot of theoperator in contact with its periphery. preferably roughened asindicated at 86. The stop-cam is held frictionally in any position towhich it may be turned in either direction, by a click 88 mounted uponone of the walls 8O and engaging a star-wheel 90 secured to one side ofthe cam to turn therewith. The cam also has a lateral pin 92, which, bycontact with the under or upper surface of the treadle, will determinethe extreme angularppsitions of the oam with relation to a Contactmemuntil the lowermost point in the cam ber94` fixed to theoorbeneath-it. When the' pin bears against the lower 'surface of thetreadle, the cam portion 9 6 of maximum radius will be alined with thecontact member 94, and will stop the downward travel.

of the grid in 'the pan upon depression of the treadle at the highestplane, to secure" the correct immersion of its upper applying surface inthe paste when the pan contains the maximum quantity. With the pin 92against the upper surface of the treadle, the cam portion 98 of minimumradius will cooperate with the Contact member, this providing for themaximum downwardtravel of the grid when the paste is at its lowestlevel, or just before the .supply is to be renewed.

In considering the general o ration of the apparatus, it will be assumethat there are to be coated portions ofshoe linings of some such fabricas cotton. Thegrid is positioned on its carrier members with the sideupward which'will apply the correct tot-al areaof paste to the work; andif this is of anyv consequence, the grid is also positioned with thatside toward the operator which will disi tribute the paste most thicklynear one or another edge of the work. With the pan supplied with pasteup to a level below the upper face ofthe grid in its normal position,the stop-cam 84 is ad'usted to 'give such movement of the grid intothe-'paste for a f full depression of the treadle-:this being Pe'riphery strikes the contact member 94, that the coating surface willraise from the body of paste a film of the desired thickness. For

each work piece to behoated the operator Y' depresses and releases thetreadle, and, when the grid rises fromthe paste, presses upon it' thework W. This is coated along separated curved areas, determined by thespacing and form of the bars, and since there is a. continuous change inthe direction of exfinished and unfinished portions of the bars.

The unevenness communicated to the paste gathered upon the roundedportions of the bars edectually destroys any continuity ofI action ofthe drying paste upon the fabric strands.. As the operation proceeds,and the work pieces successively remove the paste from the grid andtherefore from the supply in the pantheop'erator may at intervals',

Athe opposite direction until its pinstrikes the under side of thetreadle, thereafter the operations continuing as before.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States i's:

1. In a coating apparatus, a coating member `having a series of applyingportions curved throughout their length inl one direc-l tion only.' j

Q. In a coating apparatus, a coating member having a series of applyingportions concentric to one another throughout their entire length.

3. In a coating apparatus, a coating member having a series of applyingsurfaces giving a gradual variation of applying area over the coatingmember.

4. In a coating apparatus, a coating member arranged for thepresentation to it by the operator of the work to be coated, and havinga series of concentric applying surfaces giving a gradual variation ofapplying area over the coating member from the side toward the operatorto the opposite side.

5. In a coating apparatus, a grid having arcuate applying bars, theextremities of thedarcs terminating at the outside of the r1 g 6. In acoating apparatus, a coating member having a series of arcuate applyingoars formed about a center situated near one side of the grid.

7. In a coating apparatus, a grid of cast metal having a finishedapplying surface and adjacent rounded edges of unfinished metal.

8. In a coating apparatus, a grid of cast metal having a series of barsprovided with relatively smooth finished applying surfaces lying in acommon plane and opposite rounded edges of unfinished metal.

. 9.. In a coating apparatus, a coating member arranged for thepresentation to it by the operator of the work to be coated, and havingapplying surfaces ofv different character, and means arranged to permitthe .member to be changed in position to present the different surfacesadjacent to the operator.`

10. In a coating apparatus, a member having applying surfaces ofdifferent area, 4and means arranged to permit the member to be changedvin position to present the different surfaces to the work.

11. In a coating apparatus, a reversible grid having bars presentingapplying surfaces of different character at its opposite sides.

12. In a coating apparatus, a reversible grid having bars of differentWidth at their opposite applying faces.

13. In a coating f apparatus, a reversiblechanged in position to presentthe vsurface differently to the work.

15. In a coating apparatus, a receptacle for a coating substance, and anapplying member movable in the receptacle and being reversible inposition about a. plurality of axes. v

- 16. In a coating apparatus, a receptacle for a coating substance, asupporting-member adjacent the receptacle, a carrier member fixed to thesupporting member and extending over the receptacle, an apply'in membersituated within the receptacle, an means for drawing the applying memberinto engagement with the carrier member. 17. In a coating apparatus, areceptacle for a coating substance, supporting members adjacent thereceptacle, a carrier meinber ixed'to each supporting member andextending over the receptacle, an applyin member situated within thereceptacle and contacting at its upper side with the carrier members,and a hanger mounted upon each carrier member and engaging the underside of the applying member.

18. Ina coating apparatus, a receptacle for a coating substance,supporting members adjacent the receptacle, a carrier member fixedyto'each supporting member and extending over the receptacle, an applyingmember situated within the receptacle an provided with slots, andhangers depending from the carrier members through the slots and beingarranged to engage and hold the grid and to pass through the slots.

19. In a coating apparatus, a receptacle for a coating substance,actuating rods at opposite sides thereof, a yoke mounted upon each rodover the receptacle, a grid situated in the receptacle, and meansmounted upon the yokes and arranged to engage the grid to hold itagainst said yokes.

20. In -a coating apparatus, a receptacle for a coating substance,actuating rods at opposite sides thereof, a yoke mounted upon each rodover the receptacle, a grid situated in the receptacle and havingopenings and aslot-,said openings receiving portions of the yokes, andhooks mounted upon the yokes and co-operating with the grid slots.

21. In a coating apparatus, a table, a receptacle supported upon thetable and provided with depressions, guide members se-` cured to theunder side of the table and having portions entering the receptacledepressions, rods extending through the guide members,- an applyingmember mounted upon the rods for movement in the receptacle, andactuating means for the rods.

22. In a coating apparatus, a table, ay receptacle supported upon ythetable, an applying member movable in the receptacle, rods extendingthrough the table and carry` ing theapplying member, guide members forthe rods secured to the under side of the table at opposite sides of thereceptacle and having connection to each other beneath the table, andactuating means for the rods. 23. In a coating apparatus, a table, areceptacle supported upon the table and pro* vided with depressioins, anapplying mem. ber movable in the receptacle, rods extendingthrough thetable and carrying the a c plylng member, guide members for the r ssecured to the under side of the table at opposite sides of thereceptacle and havin connection to each other beneath the table, saiduide members having portions enterving t e receptacle depressions, andactuating means for the rods.

24. In a coatin apparatus, a table, a receptacle supportedi upon thetable, an applying member movable in the receptacle, rods extendingthrough the table and carrying the applying member, .guide cages for therods secured to the under sideof the table at opposite sides of thereceptacle, springs acting upon the rods within the cages, and actuatinmeans for the rods.

25. an apparatus of the class described, a member to be controlled', atreadle for controlling the member, a contact member to determine thetravel of the treadle, and means arranged for actuation by the o eratorduring the movement of the trea e to permit a variation in position ofthe contact member and in the extent of movementof the treadle. c

26. In an apparatus of the class described, a member to be controlled, acontrolling member therefor, and means arranged for actuation by thefoot of the operator to de- 'termine the travel of the controllingmember.

27. In an apparatus of the class described, a member to be controlled, atreadle for cons Plyihs trolling the member, and a movable contactmember to determine the travel of the readle and arranged for actuationby the oot position of the contact member and in the extent of movementof the treadle.v

28. In an apparatus ofthe class described, a member to be controlled, atreadle for controlling the member, and a cam variable in position todetermine the travel of the treadle. c

29. In a coating apparatus, a movable applying member, a. treadle foractuating the member, and a stop member mounted upon the treadle andarranged to permit variation in the projection of its contact surfacefrom the treadle.

30. In a coating apparatus, a movable applying member, a treadle foractuating the member, and a cam rotatable u on the treadle and arrangedto contact wit a relatively fixed point.

31. In a coating apparatus, a movable apmember, a treadle for actuatingthe member, a cam rotatable upon the treadle and arranged to contactwith a relatively fixed point, and means for retaining the cam in theposition to which it is turned.

32. Ina coating apparatus, a receptacle for a coating substance, anapplying member, means arranged to cause relative movement oftheapplying member and receptacle of the operator to permit a variation invto s upply the coating substance to said ap- I plym member, and meansarranged to variagly determine the extent of such relative movement.

33. In a vcoating apparatus, a receptacle 'for a coating substance, anapplying member movable vinto and out of the contents of the receptacle,and means arranged to vary the limit of movement into said contents.

34. In a coating apparatus, .a receptacle for a coating substance, anapplying member arranged for immersion in the coating substance, meansarranged to move the applying member and receptacle relatively topreparefor the coating operation, and means or actuation by the operator tomaintain the extent of immersion substantially constant.

In testimony whereof I. have signed my name to this specification.

CHARLES B. TIBBETTS.

